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Retired from NBA, Amar'e Stoudemire to suit up in Israel

By The Sports Xchange
Sporting a menorah necklace, Amar'e Stoudemire arrives on the red carpet at the New York Premiere of 'Trainwreck' at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on July 14, 2015. Retiring last week after 14 years in the NBA, Stoudemire announced on Monday he will play pro basketball in Israel. File photo by John Angelillo/UPI
1 of 2 | Sporting a menorah necklace, Amar'e Stoudemire arrives on the red carpet at the New York Premiere of 'Trainwreck' at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on July 14, 2015. Retiring last week after 14 years in the NBA, Stoudemire announced on Monday he will play pro basketball in Israel. File photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Less than a week after retiring from the NBA, Amar'e Stoudemire announced Monday he is continuing his basketball career in Israel.

In a post on the Player's Tribune website, Stoudemire wrote: "I may be retiring from the NBA, but I'm not saying goodbye to basketball just yet. My next step is playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, one of the top teams in Europe. This isn't about collecting a paycheck overseas though; it's a spiritual journey, too."

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Stoudemire said at a press conference Monday in New York that he will sign a two-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem, the team he co-owns. As part of the deal, ESPN reported he will sell his ownership shares that he purchased in 2013.

"We are thrilled to have a player of Amar'e's caliber join our team, solidifying our place among the top echelon of Israeli and European basketball," Dr. Ori Allon, President and majority owner of Hapoel Jerusalem, said in a statement. "More important bringing Amar'e to Jerusalem raises the profile of the entire Israeli Basketball League, and we hope that his joining our team will lead to increased interest in our league from basketball fans around the world as well as talented international players."

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The announcement occurred after the six-time All-Star announced his retirement from the NBA by signing a one-day contract with the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

"I am looking forward to playing for Hapoel Jerusalem and helping the team compete for titles," Stoudemire said. "My family and I are excited to start a new journey in Israel, a country I have grown to love."

Late in his NBA career, Stoudemire explored Judiasm and categorized himself as "not technically Jewish" but "culturally Jewish."

Stoudemire could have continued his NBA career but agent Happy Waiters told ESPN his client had several offers from non-playoff teams but was not interested in going to a non-playoff team.

The 33-year-old Stoudemire played 14 NBA seasons, including 4 1/2 campaigns with the Knicks. He was the 2003 rookie of the year with the Phoenix Suns where he paired with Steve Nash in subsequent seasons to form an effective pick-and-roll tandem in coach Mike D'Antoni's "seven seconds or less" offensive system.

Stoudemire was a five-time All-Star in eight seasons with the Suns before signing a five-year deal with the Knicks in 2010. He averaged 25.3 points in his first season with the Knicks and voted to start the All-Star game -- the first time for a New York player since Patrick Ewing in 1997.

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Injuries hampered him over the rest of his tenure with the Knicks, who bought him out in 2015. He ended his career with the Miami Heat by averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.7 minutes in 52 games while playing expanded minutes at times due to injuries to Hassan Whiteside and Chris Bosh.

The 6-foot-10 Stoudemire averaged 21.9 points and 9.1 rebounds in 846 career games.

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